Friday, November 30, 2012

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Author:

“Lex Allen was
born in San Marcos and raised in the cities of Corpus Christi and Austin,
Texas. After a twenty-one year military career, he took off the uniform but
went back to work for the U.S. Department of Defense as a civilian. He's lived
and worked for most of the past forty years in Germany.

He has
spent a great deal of his free time as a semi-professional musician. With his
band, Honky Tonk Heroes, he has written, published, and recorded fourteen
country rock songs and performed on stages, large and small, all over Europe.”

“A man
calling himself Jesus interrupts Easter Mass at a famous German cathedral,
saying he's come to stop a religiously incited nuclear war and to find three
ancient documents that will shake the foundations of organized religion and
bring enlightenment to all. He disappears from the cathedral, leaving behind
several 'miracles' as proof of who he claims to be.

Disarming
the world's nuclear arsenals requires the help of scientists from his world,
but can they do it in time? Finding the documents requires three special people
who first need to be convinced of who they once were, and then - taught to use
their latent paranormal abilities.

Dr.
Elizabeth Washburn is a Professor of Theology battling a recent loss of faith. Jack
Schmidt promotes the total disbandment of organized religion through an online
blog, while Kate Barrow is a disillusioned film student seeking inspiration. Unlikely
disciples, but all three have past incarnations connected to Jesus, and the
Christian Savior needs them to find the missing documents.

The stakes
are high and Jesus' tasks become more difficult as another entity from a parallel
world, equal to Jesus in supernatural skills, has his own agenda for world
dominance. Along with the U.S. government and the Catholic Church, each of whom
have their own reasons for stopping Jesus, this Being is determined to
eliminate Jesus from the equation. This time - forever!”

Appraisal:

No Heaven, while revolving around the
apparent “second coming of Christ,” is many things, but one thing it isn’t is
“Christian Fiction.” Reasonably open-minded fans of that genre may enjoy this
book, but those who explicitly avoid it will too.

This story
works on two levels. On the surface, it’s a supernatural thriller with a
religious component – think Dan Brown or his imitators with a dose of
science-fiction and supernatural thrown into the mix. If this is the kind of
story that appeals to you and you don’t have any desire to go deeper than this,
it’s a good story.

However,
scratch beneath the surface — think about the story and how it relates to the
real world — and there is much more, with questions about the direction
religion (and things done in the name of religion) and the politics around it
are taking the world. It should get you thinking about what the ultimate
outcome is likely to be, and hopefully will start you pondering about what can
be done to change that direction.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

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Author:

Alex
(Aleksei) Bobl is the author of eleven books. He’s based in Moscow, Russia.

Description:

In a
dystopian world, a major corporation—Memoria—develops technology that enables
memories to be selectively erased. Memoria’s control of the city-based
population has been solidified by the authorities such that each citizen is
obliged by law to undergo memory modification each year. Most of the city
dwellers seem to enjoy this process and return even more frequently to have
unpleasant memories removed.

Only the
Militants, located behind barbed wire fencing on the outskirts of the cities,
live free. Memoria develops a new technology that will give them even more
active control over the population and they devise a subterfuge by which all
citizens, Militant and otherwise, will be “vaccinated.” The populace
enthusiastically volunteers because they believe they are having a new and
desirable skill imprinted on their minds, but instead, this is a dastardly plot
to turn them into mind-slaves.

Appraisal:

This was a tough slog for me. The premise seemed weak. If Memoria’s
objective was control and power, why would they allow the Militants to live
free on their borders. Not only did they live free, but the Militants provided
all the basic services for the cities—they grew the food, provided the water,
handled the garbage and sewage. I was unclear exactly what the city folk did.

The story opens with the protagonist, Frank, an ex-boxer, being framed
for the murder of his girlfriend. Before her death, the girlfriend (Frank is
dumbfounded to discover she is a significant player in Memoria, even though
he’s considering inviting her to move in with him!) mailed a package that would
expose Memoria’s plan to control everyone in the world. The rest of the book is
a chase where the corporation and some bent-politicians try to reclaim the
package from Frank and frame him for any bad stuff that happens, and Frank
tries to release the information in the package to the general public.

Frank falls in with some old colleagues who just happen to have all the
skills and the connections inside Memoria needed to thwart the evil
corporation. Our ex-boxer miraculously turns into someone with Mission
Impossible skills: shimmying down elevator shafts and knocking out anyone he
punches like Popeye jacked-up on spinach. And should his fortunate choice in
friends or innate fighting prowess fail, have no fear, fate will intervene to
rescue him from the seemingly impossible situation he’s trapped in.

The plot isn’t experienced through scenes in the book, instead, I was
told who was doing what to whom (and why) through dialog between the characters
and through Frank’s internal narrative. I couldn’t understand how Frank et-al
drew their conclusions based on the information I was given, and because I
didn’t experience the events they talked about, I couldn’t get engaged with the
plot.

The dialog felt flat and long (because they were explaining the story)
with ‘action beats’ that often seemed formulaic and disconnected from the topic
of conversation so they ended up being distracting rather than giving life to
the characters and their situations.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I didn’t understand what
Memoria really wanted (they seemed to have it all anyway). I was often confused
by the action sequences, which seemed frenetic and often jumped around without
setting the scene clearly—or maybe I was just glazing over.

I can’t tell if my confusion derives from this being a translated story
(I think it was originally written in Russian), but an English-speaking editor
could surely figure that out.

Format/Typo Issues:

Comma usage
was non-standard. A comma was often used where a period belonged at the end of
dialog. It jarred my eye. At one point someone called “Orphan” turned into
someone called “Oprah”. Many sentences didn’t make sense e.g. “Frank pulled his
leg out, turned around and kicked the stranger’s face red with excitement.” Or
“Frank shut the door close and turned back.

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Author:

K.S. Brooks
has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense,
satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is co-administrator of
Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog
“celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating
on matters of interest to both readers and authors. For more, visit Brooks’website.

Description:

“Mr. Pish,
the lovable Jack Russell Terrier, leads readers on an expedition down the East
Coast of the United States in Postcards from Mr. Pish Volume 3. With each new
discovery, the traveling terrier sends a postcard with full-color photographs
and engaging text geared to promote outdoor learning and literacy. Mr. Pish's
enthusiasm inspires young and old to read, explore and learn in a fun way.
(Fourth book in the Mr. Pish Educational Series, third in the Postcards Series)”

Appraisal:

One of a
series of children’s books featuring Mr. Pish, the author’s Jack Russell
Terrier. This volume tracks Pish’s travels down the heart of the eastern coast
of the U.S., from New Hampshire to Georgia. What struck me about the book was
how much was going on in what, at first, seems like a simple book. Most pages
concentrate on a single stop at a historical site or other point of interest,
with a map showing where it is, a post card from Mr. Pish (with a description
of what he saw and thought of this stop), and two or three pictures of the
site, often including a picture of Mr. Pish sitting in the foreground. It
seemed obvious that this book and the others in the series would educate the
children who read them in geography, history, and other subjects, while
whetting their appetite for travel. They seemed suitable for parents to read to
younger children and newer readers, while also being a fast, fun read for
children with a few years of reading experience.

When The
Princess, my nine year-old granddaughter, read this and gave me her feedback,
she agreed with my take. She specifically mentioned liking both the postcards
and pictures, along with one item that had slipped past me, a “stamp” on each
postcard with a likeness of Mr. Pish, and gave the book a grade of A-. After
reading about Mr. Pish, she not only wanted to visit the eastern coast herself,
but expressed a desire to meet Mr. Pish. Who knows, maybe someday.

Although
this book displays adequately on a grayscale Kindle, a color reader such as a
Kindle Fire or computer running a Kindle app is preferred.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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Author:

Kristen James lives in the Pacific
Northwest and enjoys exploring the mountains and traveling. Herfavorite activities, besides writing
and reading, include cycling, fishing, hiking, running, berry picking, and about
any outdoor activity with her family. Feel free to visit her website and blog,
she loves to hear from her readers.

Description:

Missy suddenly finds herself an unwanted co-owner of Ocean
View Stables near Florence, Oregon after the death of her estranged brother. Brent
built his dream with determination and feels responsible for the death of his
former partner. Not wanting to lose control of his business, he puts up a cold
front to this city slicker who could ruin it all. Missy is just looking for a
way to start over and rebuild her life. They both have a past that can ruin
their future. Can he trust her to stay? Can she trust him with her heart?

Appraisal:

This story
is a sweet romance that takes place along the Pacific Northwest coastline; the
author did a wonderful job describing the backdrop for this story. It was
beautiful and I would love to visit the area. The character development was
slow, but well done, neither character wanted to share their pain. I loved the
witty dialogue between the two main characters; the sparks flew between them
from the very beginning. I would have loved a little more backstory on why
Missy and her brother were estranged though.

I found the
flow of the story a little stilted. I was never sure how much time had passed
between some of the scenes. It could have been a day or even a week later - it was
never clear. I was able to get past that though and just enjoy the story. There
didn’t seem to be much of a Christmas-y feel to the story except that the
season was winter when business was slow and a few scenes reminded us it was
that time of year. This allowed us to get to know the characters without the
rush of dealing with customers coming and going for trail rides. It also
allowed Missy time to learn the ropes of the ranch.

This would
be a light, enjoyable read any time of the year.

Format/Typo Issues:

There were
a small number of spelling errors, mainly missing letters or an extra letter
included in a word that changed its meaning. Examples of this are: after
soothing her hair away from her face, instead of smoothing her hair.
Thanksgiving dinner was referred to as a fest not a feast. And she grabbed ‘unto
that; instead of ‘onto that’. At one point Brent ‘land leaned’ instead of ‘and
leaned’. I think a few beta readers or an additional proofing would have helped
with these errors.

Monday, November 26, 2012

It isn't often you'll see a book featured here other than in a review. In fact, I think this is the first time it has happened. The reason it won't be reviewed is that I (as in BigAl) contributed one small portion. (If I were to review it, I'd be forced to say my contribution is the weakest.) First, here's the blurb:

Whether you are an author wanting to expand your book’s market or an entrepreneur selling candy-coated knitting baskets, you will benefit from an enhanced social media presence.

In Tutorials and Tools for Prospering in a Digital World Volume I you’ll find 62 step-by-step tutorials and tips/tools for everything from establishing a presence on multiple social media platforms to tools for optimizing your web presence to bonus tips tailored specifically for authors.

The award-winning and best-selling multi-national staff of Indies Unlimited brings you the ultimate guide for slapping social media into submission.

Knowledge is power. Fish is brain food. If you don’t have fish, you should at least have the Indies Unlimited Tutorials and Tools for Prospering in a Digital World Volume I. It smells way better than fish, and doesn’t require refrigeration. How can you go wrong?

While a small number of the sixty plus tips and tutorials are aimed specifically at authors, most are applicable to anyone with a web presence, whether business owner or book blogger. I read through this from cover to cover when it was released this past weekend and found several items I've put to immediate use.

Friday, November 23, 2012

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Author:

Aria Kane
is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. She lives in sunny Florida with her fifty pound mutt who thinks he is a Chihuahua. This is her
first book. Check out her site for a little bit of insight into this new Indie
author, this made me laugh. “I’m a romance author, but this blog is about my
life as a sex-positive, slightly-geeky, gender-role-despising,
equal-rights-defending, independent city girl.”

Description:

When Jenna’s
job as an engineer causes her to miss the last scheduled passenger flight home
from the mining colony on Titan, she
has to become creative to get home to Earth before Christmas. She learns that sometimes
private cargo pilots will take on passengers, for the right price.

There is one small cargo ship, piloted by Grayson, that is
getting ready to make the three day trip, but he doesn’t want any passengers. Jenna
convinces Grayson to allow her aboard his ship so she can be home with her
sisters on Christmas. When she learns what he is transporting is extremely
dangerous and illegal she must decide whether to help him or turn him in to the
authorities.

Appraisal:

This
novelette is a quick, light, enjoyable read. Jenna is a problem solver and I
liked her character as well as Grayson’s. Her biggest problem at first is being
on such a small cargo ship with a gorgeous pilot. Heat rises quickly and is
sated nicely. Grayson is a nice guy who is stuck between a rock and a hard
spot. As we learn his story, it is easy to sympathize with his moral dilemma. The
story is told with plenty of dialogue; the plot is tight and flows well. Most
of the story takes place on the cargo ship between the two main characters and
neither is afraid to get their hands dirty in one way or another. I enjoyed the
escape into their lives and I found the ending extremely satisfying.

FYI:

This book contains adult situations that may not be suitable
of young adults.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

As a large number of our readers are in the US and busy stuffing themselves with turkey and all the trimmings, we're skipping today's review, but wanted to take this opportunity to tell our readers that, among the many things we're thankful for this holiday, we're thankful for you.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

My Lorado Martin Mystery Series is loosely based on the life
of my brother, who lives in two very different worlds. The first world is junk.
Yard sales. Estate sales. Stuff people leave on the side of the road. You name it.
If it has value, my brother can spot it at thirty miles per hour. And he brings
it all home.

Each book in the series will include several valuable things
he’s found while I’m writing. I incorporate his treasures into the story and
tell you a little about what they are, why they are valuable, and how you can find
similar valuables yourself. If you’re an eBay junkie, or can’t help stopping at
yard sales, you’ll enjoy the antiques and collectibles mentioned in the books.

Today’s topic is something for the kids.

While I was writing Dinner At Deadman’s, my brother was
offered a collection of toys that would make any ten year old boy lose sleep
for a month. Someone had been saving Matchbox army vehicles and plastic figures
for years and decided it was time to get rid of them.

When he told me how many pieces he bought I was amazed.
There were 8 large bins brimming full of cars and army men. The pieces and
Lorado’s real life reaction to the collection is included within the novel.

In July I visited some good friends who also happen to read
my books. One of the boys was having a birthday, so I decided to combine the
parents’ love of books with the boy’s birthday present and give him something
straight out of Dinner At Deadman’s.
Here is the collection I assembled.

The 2,000 men and dozens of vehicles didn’t make a dent in
my brother’s collection. But it took over an hour for us (yes I had some help!)
to set the pieces up for these photos.

Playing with these guys brought back memories for me. When I
first saw the collection I was in awe of the sheer numbers of pieces. The shiny
helicopters, all in mint condition, grabbed my attention first. When you are a
kid, you get a helicopter, maybe two. This collection held fifty identical
helicopters in one bin! What kid wouldn’t want them for his airbase?

My brother spent days with these toys, but he wasn’t excited
about the pieces he had fifty or a hundred of. He spent his time researching
rare models. The thing I’ve learned about buying large lots is that there are a
few pieces mixed in that are valuable. In this case, one vehicle paid for the
entire lot of 50,000 pieces. The trick was finding that one piece and a few
more like it.

When you read Dinner
At Deadman’s, you’ll learn about finding the treasure mixed in the chaos. I
hope you’ll join me and dig in.

So, did you play with toys like these? Or were you a Barbie
girl?

---

C.J. West is the
author of seven suspense novels including The End of Marking Time and Sin andVengeance, which was optioned into development for film by Beantown
Productions, LLC (screenplay by Marla Cukor). C.J. blogs at
www.cjwestkills.wordpress.com. You can also find him at www.22wb.com or at
www.facebook.com/cjwestfans

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

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Author:

The author is a freelance writer living in Devon, in the
South of England, who has published a number of novels and short stories.

Description:

Richard
Trescerrick dedicated his life to creating the Brainscape—a device that
provides access to another person’s mind. When he discovers the government
agency providing his funding intend to use his invention to control people’s
thoughts, he hides the final algorithm that will complete the machine. During a
brutal attack by a government agent at his home, Richard is knocked into
unconsciousness and becomes comatose. A group of government agents, law
enforcement, and psychologists, aided by his estranged son, Luke, enter his
mind using the Brainscape and search for the algorithm.

Appraisal:

First off, let me say this is one of the best-written books I’ve read
this year. Mr. Townley has a solid grasp on the craft of writing fiction.
Sentences so lean that, like the notes in a Mozart symphony, you’d be hard-pressed
to pick a spare word that could be removed without reducing the story.

The opening few chapters paint a picture of the challenging relationship
between Richard and his son, Luke. I empathized with Luke, and with his son who
has some undefined mental challenges of his own. This ‘real world’ introduction
is set against a beautifully drawn backdrop of a Cornish coastal town.

But the story doesn’t dwell in the physical world for long. Most of the
words are used to follow the characters as they ride the roller coaster of
Richard’s imagination inside his comatose father’s mind.

And inside the Brainscape, it’s Jumanji
meets A Christmas Carol (the parts
where Scrooge is taken back in time), with a smattering of Alice in Wonderland. Nothing is as it seems, and everything is
triggered or controlled through metaphors that relate to the old man’s life and
loves. Luke learns aspects of his father’s life hitherto misunderstood, and in
the process he also learns about himself. As Luke battles the evil government
agent (who understands how to control the Brainscape-world) the action is
non-stop: a psychedelic happening driven by words instead of pills.

I felt certain reluctance to surrender to this imaginary world. After
all, I was enjoying the introductory story, and the idea of spending most of
the book in a place where there were no rules that I could fathom, didn’t
appeal. However, the imagery was so strong, and the pacing so fast that I soon
left my niggling Doubting Thomas behind, let go of the reins of reality, and
went along for the ride.

And it was a lot of fun.

Format/Typo Issues:

English
spelling and English settings. I enjoyed this aspect of the story because, for,
me the locations were familiar. I don’t believe this would cause a problem, or
lessen the enjoyment, for a reader unfamiliar with England.

Monday, November 19, 2012

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Author:

Mary Matthews is a descendant of American Revolutionary Patriots whose ancestors arrived in the American Colonies in the 1600s. She helped write WWII Veterans’ stories for a Library of Congress project. She writes a romantic mystery series set on the lush West Coast during the 20s. She loves her family, history, wine, and reading — not always in that order. While researching the Roaring 20s, Mary created the Splendid Summer series featuring romantic detectives Grace and Jack — and their magical cats that can solve mysteries without missing a nap.

This is a
charming re-telling of the Charles
Dickens classic,A Christmas Carol. Judge Scrooge is presented with a case
for the legal extermination of feral cats in his town on Christmas Eve.

Appraisal:

Judge
Scrooge is a bitter man. His love of money, his turning his back on family, and
walking away from the woman he loved has had a caustic effect on his life. I
liked the way She (Scrooge’s lost love) was introduced (that is the way he
refers to Her). She is an attorney that presents cases in front of Judge
Scrooge regularly. He decides to make a ruling for the legal extermination of
feral cats in their area solely based on who She is, but defers his ruling
until the day after Christmas. This sets the stage for the visit of Tatania,
our magical cat, who has a Cheshire
cousin.

This is a
cute premise, but the story missed the mark, in my opinion. I tended to get
lost when the story changed scenes, they were not as well defined as I felt
like they could have been, and this threw me out of the story. The moral of the
story includes the significance of the balance of nature with all living things as well as the joy of the
spirit of Christmas.

Friday, November 16, 2012

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Author:

“Nancy Brophy lives in Portland, Oregon.
She, her husband, her two dogs, PB and J, and forty chickens own a house that
was destroyed by fire in 2010. Fourteen hair-pulling months later they’ve moved
back into the house. One day she’ll be able to laugh about it. Then she’ll use
it in a story.”

Ms. Brophy says she writes what she loves
to read. “A strong man who believes he’s in charge until he meets a feisty
female who’s not taking a backseat to anybody. Give me a story that makes me
laugh and then cry, but always … a happy ending.”

Forty-four
year old widowed Lily Carmichael has no time for any kind of a social life. She
participates in the social whirl of parties and events from the sidelines of
her successful catering business. While catering a charity bachelor auction
Lily impulsively bids on forty-six year old Marshall
Caudill who considers women delightful and charming but strictly recreational.
He is a devoted scientist and director of the Oceanic Institute that bears his
name. As

a favor to his sister he consents to be auctioned off for a charity
date.

“Marshall and Lily are too old, too busy and much
too clever to fall in love.”

Appraisal:

I was totally swept away with this story. Lilly Carmichael is a strong, independent, smart woman with type ‘A’ goal-oriented personality. All she is after is a satisfying one-night stand. She doesn’t have time for a relationship with a man, or that is what she tells herself anyway. She has a recurring fantasy of a faceless man who visits her in her dreams. When that dream man’s face becomes Marshall’s it throws her for a loop. Marshall has played the relationship game his whole life and has no intention of ‘a real relationship’ or actually falling in love, and marriage is out of the question."

This story is told in third person, but we occasionally get a first person POV through Lilly’s and Marshall’s eyes, which I really liked. The plot is endearing and humorous as these two people discover more about themselves and each other. They are both set in their ways and change is not easy for either of them. The dialogue is realistic and I fell in love with all the characters. Lily’s business partner, Dori, and Marshall’s sister, Caroline proves to be effective sounding boards for these two characters. I loved reading about their journey.

I believe this is a five star story. However, I came across several instances of missing or extra words, although not quite enough to effect my ranking.. I’m concerned that I was so swept up in the story that some may have flown by without me noticing them. I believe it would be a good idea for the author to have another proofing done, this story is worth it. I would recommend this story to friends and actually have already.

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Author:

“Shawn is a
philosophical researcher educated at York University in Toronto. He's also
worked with Aboriginal youth in two communities in the Northwest Territories of
Canada.” For more, visit his website.

Description:

“The first
and last book you'll ever need to understand oil and the myth of fossil fuels.

The myth of
fossil fuels and peak oil has been a part of the North American lifestyle for
almost 100 years. Beginning first in the schools, children are anxious for an
education but get caught in the middle of this deception. As a student grows up
they hear the same message propagated through governments, media and various
interest groups. But the truth is now within your grasp in finding this book.
In Oil, The 4th Renewable Resource, you’ll learn:

o How the myth of fossil fuels begin.
[sic]

o How oil corporations have taken
advantage of this myth.

o The beginning of the abiotic oil theory
in 1877.

o How the myth of global warming and oil
corporations go hand in hand.

o Which renewable resource is the best.

o And what actions you can take to affect
change in the schools and government policy.”

Appraisal:

Scientific
knowledge is a funny thing. Sometimes what most scientists believe to be true,
turns out to be false. The scientific community recognizes this by using the
term theory to describe a concept that could be shaky, with a minimal amount of
research indicating it is true, to something that is accepted as absolute truth
based on a preponderance of evidence, the “theory of gravity” being one that is
unlikely to be disproven.

Sometimes
the preponderance of evidence isn’t that strong, but the scientific community
still believes a theory to be as close to absolute as possible. More than four
hundred years ago Copernicus and Galileo argued that the scientific theory of
the time saying that the planets revolved around the earth was wrong, that the
planets, including the earth really revolved around the sun. They weren’t the
first to propose this theory which went against the “evidence” (largely
scriptural rather than true science), but they were the first to finally make
inroads within the scientific community and generally receive credit for
bringing the scientific community around. But they were also laughed at,
scorned, and got in a lot of trouble with the establishment first.

The
“abiotic oil theory” is one that, if it eventually proves to be true, is bound
to follow this same path. Alli is not a scientist, instead calling himself a “philosophical
researcher,” but he uses the works of scientists who have previously proposed
this theory in making his case with plenty of footnotes to his sources for
those who want to dig deeper. This theory, boiled down to its essence, is that
hydrocarbons, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, weren’t formed by animal and
vegetable matter decomposing under the earth’s surface over a long period of
time, as current scientific thought would say. Instead they’re formed by
processes that are constantly happening much deeper within the earth, with oil
and natural gas continually bubbling towards the surface, replenishing what was
previously harvested through drilling. Under this theory we’re in no danger of
running out of oil, natural gas, or other hydrocarbons in the foreseeable
future.

I was (and
still am) willing to consider that this theory could be correct, although I’m
far from convinced. This was despite the apparent need to believe a conspiracy
theory or two in order to understand why only a handful of scientists are
proponents of the theory and the reasons why no oil company chooses to break
ranks to grab a larger market share instead of pretending there is a scarcity
to maintain and increase prices.

After
finishing the first part of the book explaining this theory of oil creation, my
reaction was, even if it is true, we’ve still got issues. Does it really matter
if the continuing use of fossil fuels (or hydrocarbons, since under this theory
fossil fuels is an incorrect term) are causing problems such as global warming
and pollution? Enter more conspiracy theories, related to global warming or
climate change. The deeper into the book, the more unbelievable the
explanations and the less logical the arguments became. He uses a lot of
numbers, guesses, or unrelated facts to draw conclusions that have no logical
basis I could see from the facts given. Sometimes he even admits it, as when he
prefaces his explanation for the reason most scientists agree that our use of
hydrocarbons is causing global warming with the statement that, “it should be
noted this is my own theory and while I don’t have facts to back it up, it’s
the best possible explanation.”

After
attempting to make the case that oil is renewable and climate change is a non-issue,
I was thrown when the author compares the major sources of renewable energy. He
ranks six energy sources he considers renewable (solar, wind, water,
hydrocarbons, geothermal, and biomass), and oil (or hydrocarbons) ended up
ranked five of the six. Environmental issues (such as the pollution problems I
mentioned above) are part of the reason for this low ranking.

So let’s
review. We have the claim or theory that hydrocarbons are “renewable” and
aren’t going to run out any time soon. Climate change or global warming is a
hoax. Even if we believe these claims, hydrocarbons are still among the worse
sources of renewable energy by the author’s reckoning, although, to be fair, a
portion of the reason for the low ranking is due to the current structure of
the oil and coal industry. Which makes me wonder what the point of the book
even is.

At the end
of a book like this I’d expect a clear identification of the problem, the
solution (if any), and an unambiguous call to action. I don’t think the book
delivers on any of these. First, what is the problem? It isn’t a problem with
current energy policy in North America; although he seems to have made a case
for less dependence on oil in the comparison section, he doesn’t make that
argument. Instead, he seems to make the contention that if the science he claims is right then what is being taught in
schools is wrong. Fair enough, I suppose, but I would argue that his only call
to action, to put pressure on schools to teach this alternative theory of the
origins of oil, is putting the cart before the horse. Until a critical mass of
reputable scientists are backing this theory, teaching it in schools seems
negligent to me, much like teaching creationism as though it is science seems
unjustified. If this theory can’t gain traction in the scientific community, it
isn’t ready for prime time.

He also
makes a short argument for nationalization of the oil industry in the US, which
would upset the current incentives of the oil company to keep this theory of
oil being renewable out of the public eye. However, the author cuts this
argument short with the acknowledgment that it isn’t practical, leaving me
wondering why the subject was even raised.

In the end,
I found the introduction to the “abiotic oil theory” of interest. However, the
rest of the book lacked a cohesive theme or the minimal credibility for me to
do anything beyond filing this theory in the back of my mind in case the subject
comes up in the future. The book also suffered from an abundance of grammar
issues, which made it harder to read and understand.

Format/Typo Issues:

This book
has extensive copyediting issues. Although there are many different issues, the
most common is verb tense errors, especially for the verb “to be,” using the
present tense of ‘is’ when the past tense of ‘was’ should have been used. For
example “Natural science in the 18th century is very different from the modern
scientific method” and “The average nominal retail price of gasoline at the
pumps in 2004 in the US is $1.85/gallon.” These issues were constant and
pervasive, making reading the book very difficult for me. You may also spot
other issues with these example sentences. (Even the book’s description on
Amazon has a problem with verb tense in the first bullet point as quoted
above.)

Note: After
this review was prepared the author contacted us and indicated that he
discovered many grammar errors and had them corrected. I reviewed the updated
book and found that while many of the errors I had spotted had been corrected,
the issue with verb tense had not been addressed.

There are a
limited number of tables in the book. These are formatted in such a way that
they are displayed perfectly if using the default Kindle font size, but become
hard to read if the font size is set larger.

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